Service providers

What is a Service Provider?

If you are acting as a distributor for books published by another company, you are considered a Service Provider and will need to enter into a Client Services Agreement with Google. The Client Services Agreement allows you to provide digital files and to implement settings for the Google Books and Google Play for the publishers you represent. Each publisher will also need to have an agreement directly with Google.

Getting set up

Ensure you have signed the Google Books Client Service Agreement. Any entity working with Google on behalf of another publisher must sign our Google Books Client Service Agreement. Please note that we are no longer accepting applications.

Send client list. The Service Provider should provide Google with a complete list of their clients (email your account manager). Google will notate which ones are current participants in Google Books and/or Google Play, and help Service Provider with messaging for their clients.

Send clients sign-up steps (Steps for Clients). If current clients are not participating in Google Books, or ready to participate in Google Play, Service Provider should ask clients to follow the sign-up steps described below under "Steps for Publishers."

General account overview

After you sign in, you will see a table listing your clients on the Clients tab. You can click each client's name from this page, or use the drop-down menu in the upper right corner to access their accounts.

The Clients page includes a table that allows you to quickly view the following for each client:

How many titles are live on Google Play

How many books need action

Whether you have payments access, and if you do, the ability to download client earnings reports directly

If your client's name is not listed in your account, please have the client fill out this Publisher Consent Form.

To set up ONIX feeds for your clients, you'll need to know their Collection Code(s) (more details below). Once you have obtained your clients' Collection Code(s), please submit a request from the New Feed Form. You'll find more details on sending ONIX and content files via an automated feed here:

Client's collection code

A collection code is a client specific 7-digit alphanumeric code that helps Google identify which books belong in which client's account. Please note that if your client has multiple imprints under one account, each imprint has a separate collection code. The collection code can be found by following these steps:

Choose your client's account from the drop-down in the upper right corner.

On the "Book catalog" page, click AdvancedManage templates.

Look for the 7-digit alphanumeric collection code next to the imprint name.

Managing payment and reports

If you will be managing payment and reports on your client's behalf, please make sure that your client requests a login for you and requests Payments and reports access when they fill out the Publisher Consent Form.

Once your client has provided consent, you should be able to add bank information for Google Play Books payments and pull sales reports.

Steps for Clients

Join the Google Books Partner Program. The publisher can sign up by filling out this online application.